[Pathogenesis of glucose intolerance in alcoholics]

Glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus are both prevalent not only in alcoholic liver cirrhosis, but also in chronic alcoholics without cirrhosis. Nutritional properties, pharmacological effects, and metabolic alterations produced by alcohol intake due to excessive production of reducing equivalents play significant roles in the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced glucose intolerance. Gluconeogenesis from glycogen, fatty acids, amino acids, and lactate are also impaired during ethanol metabolism. Thus, ethanol-induced hypoglycemia is closely related to depressed hepatic gluconeogenesis produced by ethanol, whereas ethanol-induced hyperglycemia or diabetes is due to hepatic and tissue insulin resistance and impairment of pancreatic endocrine system.